Our firefighters must be ready to respond to a fire in progress quickly. We take our trucks out on medical calls because a fire alarm may be turned in at any moment. If firefighters were out in another vehicle, they would have to drive back to the fire station to man a fire truck, thus losing precious minutes of response time. If they’re with the truck, they can proceed directly to the fire.

The Boardman Fire Department handles emergencies in areas other than Boardman through what is normally referred to as Mutual Aid. Our department has mutual aid agreements with 21 area fire departments. When any of these fire departments requests assistance, we provide it to the best of our ability. Likewise when our department needs assistance, we will call on these same departments for help.

A tone out alert in Boardman Fire Department means that the emergency being responded to requires more manpower than is on duty. A routine house fire in Boardman may require all off- duty and part-paid firefighters be called to assist the on-duty firefighters. There is no guarantee, however, that enough firefighters will be available to quickly extinguish a serious fire, even though off-duty personnel and part-paid firefighters have been “Toned Out.” In these circumstances, the Officer in Charge may request one or more nearby fire departments to also respond as part of a “Mutual Aid” agreement.

The type of fire equipment sent on what type of emergency is usually determined by the Officer in Charge. Conventional training advises to send more equipment rather than less until an on-scene investigation determines the exact equipment and manpower necessary.

Firefighters make holes in walls to check for fire extensions after the main body of fire has been extinguished. Also when a fire is located behind the wall, the wall must be opened to extinguish the fire and check properly for any fire extension. Occasionally firefighters must make holes in walls to make an emergency exit from a life-threatening environment when the more conventional means of egress have been rendered inaccessible.

Firefighters and officers who are on duty can easily handle many smaller fires. The Fire Chief will usually not respond to these; however, the Fire Chief will respond to major emergencies to assist the Officer in Charge with the management of the incident.

The Boardman Fire Department has three stations. There is a pumper truck in the Lockwood and Shields Station, there is a pumper truck with a short ladder on top at the South Ave. Station, and the main fire station on Boardman-Poland Rd. has a pumper truck and a ladder/aerial truck. The Fire Department’s first goal is to send the closest truck to a medical emergency so as to provide care to a victim as soon as possible. When we are able to make a choice between a pumper truck and the larger ladder truck, the smaller truck is sent. From time to time, the call requires additional manpower and the ladder truck may be sent, or it will be sent when the pumper truck is tied up on another serious call.

As for automobile accidents, they often present other hazards such as potential fire, ruptured fuel tanks, and/or the presence of hazardous materials. Also, Boardman firefighters are trained First Responders. Therefore, they can assist with patient care or assist in extricating (removing) trapped occupants of the vehicle.

Fire Department units are dispatched according to information received by the 9-1-1 operator. Firefighters are prepared to deal with the worst that could happen. Discovering that we need more units once we arrive is often too late. We have learned from experience that it’s better to have too much help than not enough.

Because searching for victims and extinguishing the fire requires so much manpower, on the initial response our department provides as much manpower as possible and available.

A structure fire requires a number of people to do all the assigned tasks. Firefighting teams are assigned certain responsibilities such as fire extinguishing, search and rescue, ventilation, salvage, safety, accountability and rapid intervention teams when firefighters become trapped or injured.

Dangerous superheated gases need to be vented to allow firefighters to safely and quickly rescue trapped occupants and extinguish the fire. Venting the window (horizontal ventilation) of a room that is on fire, actually helps to contain the fire within that room of origin. Otherwise heated gases spread throughout the inside of the house. Breaking the window really prevents a great deal more damage than it appears to cause. Replacing broken glass is much less expensive than repairing structural damage from the fire.

Firefighters are trained as First Responders. Our primary mission is to save lives and alleviate suffering. Due to the strategic location of Boardman’s three Fire Stations throughout the township, we can arrive quickly and begin emergency medical treatment or life saving techniques such as CPR and/or use cardiac defibrillators. Firefighters arrive on the scene quickly and stabilize the patient’s medical condition. Presently, the Boardman Fire Department does not provide ambulance services; therefore, a private ambulance company arrives later to provide transport to the hospital.